CuS Nanoparticle-Based Microcapsules for Solar-Induced Phase-Change Energy Storage

Abstract

Phase-change microcapsules with photothermal conversion capabilities have been the focus of research in the energy storage field. In this study, a route is developed to prepare photothermal conversion and phase-change energy storage microcapsules by copper sulfide-stabilized Pickering emulsion with dodecanol tetradecyl ester as the phase-change material (PCM) and melamine formaldehyde resin (MF) as a shell. Spherical CuS particles with a diameter of approximately 10 nm are first synthesized by a facile hydrothermal reaction. The obtained CuS nanoparticles are used not only as a stabilizer but also as a photothermal conversion material in the preparation of the microcapsules. Then, the PCM microcapsules are prepared by a one-pot interfacial polymerization route and showed a well-defined core–shell structure with an average size of approximately 7 μm. The synthesized microcapsules have a latent heat of up to 180.3 J/g and an encapsulation efficiency of 81.36%. Meanwhile, the thermal conductivity of the microcapsules increased by 115–254% compared to the core material due to the hybrid shell filled with CuS nanoparticles. The photothermal conversion capacity of the synthesized microcapsules is measured and calculated to be up to 85.6%, achieving light-induced phase change and further inducing the passive thermal cycle. This study provides a potential candidate for the application of light-induced energy storage microcapsules in fabric insulation, solar hot water heating systems, and solar thermal power systems.

Preparation and properties of photothermal responsive fragrance microcapsules

“…As shown in Figure 6b, it can be seen that the temperature of PANI fragrance microcapsules rises rapidly at the beginning, eventually reaches and stabilizes at 40.00°C within 84 s while it just have a bit temperature changes for the conventional fragrance microcapsule. Figure 6e shows the infrared images of the above process and it can be clearly seen that the temperature changes for two kinds of microcapsules, respectively 26,27 . The above results indicate that fragrance microcapsules doped with PANI have a remarkable photothermal conversion effect.…”

“…Figure 6e shows the infrared images of the above process and it can be clearly seen that the temperature changes for two kinds of microcapsules, respectively. 26,27 The above results indicate that fragrance microcapsules doped with PANI have a remarkable photothermal conversion effect.…”

Sunlight-Triggered Phase Change Energy Storage Composite Materials for Human Body Thermal Management

“…An isothermal heat shock experiment was conducted to examine the shape, stability, and heat resistance of the prepared microcapsules. In general, the temperature of the thermal shock experiment was set at 70 °C for the PCM microcapsules with a phase change temperature at 28 °C . However, when the application on the textiles is considered, most of the processing temperatures of fabric finishing are around 130 °C, so the thermal shock experiment was set to be 130 °C in this study.…”

Multifunctional BiOI/SiO2/Fe3O4@n-Docosane Phase-Change Microcapsules for Waste Heat Recovery and Wastewater Treatment

“…SLPCMs have distinguishing features, including a high energy storage capacity, nonreactivity, and almost constant temperature during phase transitions [ 2 , 3 ]. These distinguishing characteristics endow SLPCMs with applications in solar energy storage and utilization, building energy conservation, waste heat recovery, pharmaceutical product preservation, air-conditioning systems, and the thermal management of Li-ion batteries [ 4 , 5 ]. Generally, SLPCMs are categorized as organic or inorganic SLPCMs.…”